The present invention relates generally to paper towel dispensers, and more particularly to an automatic electronically controlled roll towel dispenser with a data communication system for collecting data from the dispenser and transmitting the data to a receiving device for analysis.
Dispensers for dispensing paper towels are well known in the art. A paper towel dispenser typically requires a user actuate a mechanism for the dispenser to dispense paper toweling. Folded paper towels are pre-cut and folded into various configurations to be individually dispensed. Roll paper towels are continuous rolls of paper which are wound around a central core and dispensed by advancing a length of paper toweling from the dispenser and tearing off the length of toweling along a stationary cutting bar in the dispenser.
Folded towels are paper towels which are pre-cut and folded into various configurations. The use of folded paper towel dispensers allows a user to dispense towels by pulling on the exposed end of each new individual towel. These dispensers are also very easy to refill with folded towels. However, a number of the folded towels will often fall out when an exposed towel is pulled. This can result in a significant waste of paper towels. Accordingly, folded towel dispensers are not as economical as other types of alternative dispensers.
Roll towels are less expensive to manufacture and produce less waste than folded towels. A roll towel dispenser typically includes a housing, a supply of paper in the housing, and a mechanism for unrolling a length of paper for use. Roll towel dispensers may include a lever, crank, or other mechanism for dispensing a length of towel from the dispenser chassis and a serrated blade for cutting the length of towel from the remaining roll. However, manual contact with a dispensing lever or the like raises health concerns for the user. To alleviate these health concerns, dispensers have been developed, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,461 to Rasmussen, that eliminate contact with any part of the dispenser, and instead rely upon the user directly pulling the paper towel from the dispenser. In these type dispensers, the paper toweling must have sufficient tensile strength to effect rotation of the feed roller and actuation with the cutting blade without premature tearing. Paper possessing the requisite tensile strength to operate these dispensers is limited in the amount of softness and absorbency it can provide.
Another disadvantage of manual roll towel dispensers is that the user generally controls the length of paper dispensed prior to tearing it off the dispenser. A user can therefore wastefully dispense an excessive length of toweling. This adds to the waste and abuse associated with known paper towel dispensers.
Electrically powered roll towel dispensers are also known in the prior art. Such an example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,832 to Niada. In this patent, a light sensitive device is used to detect the presence of a user's hand in front of the dispenser. After detecting the user's hand, the dispenser advances paper toweling for a predetermined length of time. The dispensed length of paper towel is then separated from the supply roll by pulling the paper toweling against a serrated cutting bar on the dispenser.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,176 to Cassia discloses an electrically powered dispenser which includes a reciprocating cutter to produce an individual towel from the continuous web of paper. While this arrangement enables the use of softer and more absorbent paper, the dispenser requires a substantial amount of energy to drive both the feed mechanism and the reciprocating cutter. Accordingly, the batteries for this dispenser must be replaced frequently. Moreover, the dispenser design is much more complex and costly than other systems.
Also, in some electrically powered dispensers, such as the dispenser disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,825 to Hawkins, the paper will continuously dispense while a user's hand or other object is placed in front of the sensor. Thus, the dispenser is subject to easy abuse and waste of paper. In an effort to avoid abuses, some dispensers, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,099 to Hoffman, have incorporated a waiting period where the dispenser will not operate for a brief time after each use. However, the need to wait can be frustrating to some users.
None of the known prior art dispensers incorporate a microcontroller or an electromechanical triggering mechanism for controlling operation of the roll towel dispenser. In addition, none of the prior art shows or discloses the use of an optical data link for transmitting status and usage data to a receiving device for analysis.
Optical data links are also well known in the art for use in transmitting data between electrical devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,699 to Vane et al. discloses a security detector having an optical data transmitter. Communication with visible light is typically limited to use with fiber-optic data links, while open-air optical data links typically operate in the infrared (IR) range. Well known are the familiar IR-remote control devices used to control home video and audio electronics. Other familiar methods of optical data communication include the Infrared Data Association (IRDA) standard used with personal computers, lap tops, computer peripherals, and personal organizers to provide wireless data transfer between devices.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved electronically controlled roll towel dispenser having an embedded microcontroller for controlling and monitoring the dispenser, and having a transmitter for transmitting data to a receiving device that is of a simpler design and is less expensive than prior art systems.